Best O Kanagawa Team
by BlueYuki
Summary: Sendoh Akira has been given the task of gathering the best players in Kanagawa for an out match... And he just might have found their star in an unseeming girl. Have a look now, y'hear?
1. Girl on Bench

Best O Kanagawa Team  
  
Chapter 1: Girl On Bench  
  
She sat there alone on the bench just outside the eastern side park, looking up at the beautiful sunset that played across the canvas of the sky, but still she did not find any join in its beauty. The inside of her mind was more like a storm, tossing and turning and not finding peace, even though she herself were sitting so still one might mistake her for a statue.  
  
It was the sound of a bouncing basketball that finally drew her out of her frozen state. Then the change came upon her, slowly at first and starting from her fingers that twitched slightly down to her toes which curled inward. She lifted her head to see where the sound was coming from.  
  
It was a young man. She guessed him to be seventeen, or eighteen, and he was definitely a basketball player. She would have been stupid not to see that he was a basketball player, considering that he was very tall, wearing a basketball jersey and bouncing a basketball on one hand. Yet she tried to suppress twirling emotions within her, emotions that were directed to that horrible little orange ball.  
  
"I will not see him," she told herself, forcing herself to turn away. Just then she realized that the basketball court was right behind her, and since he had just arrived he was going to be playing in that very court, where she'd be tormented even further.  
  
But she couldn't move either, rooted to the bench by some strange force. The guy did not seem to notice her either way, and she told herself that she would not give him the pleasure of nothing that he had gotten her attention. But it was a bad sort of attention, even if the guy did not know it. Yet.  
  
He played. Since her bench was facing away from the court she was unable to see him play, but she knew from the sounds of his movement that he was very good. Very very good. So good that in fact she was totally tempted to turn around and watch him. It had been so long since her last time seeing someone play basketball live, that despite her hatred for the sport there was some tiny piece of her begging to see the talent with which the boy was playing.  
  
Eventually she turned, and it was just in time to see jump. She watched, somehow in slow motion, as his legs bunched up, his arms swung up, the wrist twisted just ever so slightly, and the ball soared in a wide beautiful arc that cut through the air soundlessly before kissing the basket and swishing in. It was so beautiful that her mouth actually dropped open. But she quickly closed it.  
  
The boy suddenly looked at her, and at the first flash of surprisingly blue eyes, she turned away again.  
  
"You look familiar," the guy said.  
  
"I should say that about you," she said, then quickly regretting it. She was not supposed to talk to him. He was a basketball player for crying out loud.  
  
"Ah, well it's nice to be on the other side of the comment once in a while," the guy said, chuckling under his breath.  
  
She stood frozen as the guy started walking toward her, his basketball under his arm. Her heart started to thump wildly as soon as the scent of sweat and game wafted into her nose, all smells that she knew she was supposed to despise but felt strangely comforting.  
  
"I'm sure I've seen you somewhere before," the guy muttered. He paused and then said, "Anyway, I'm Sendoh Akira. Nice to meet you."  
  
She looked up at him. Blue eyes! And the smile. She had almost forgotten the last time a guy had ever smiled at her, let alone with such open and sincere honesty. Her mouth opened, but the niceties that she were going to say were suddenly swallowed back as she remembered why she hated basketball.  
  
"Whatever," she muttered, quickly turning away.  
  
"You like basketball, don't you?" Sendoh asked, raising the basketball to show her.  
  
She looked at him sharply. "What the hell makes you say that?! Don't make assumptions about me! You don't know me!"  
  
Sendoh backed away in surprise. "Hey, hey, I'm sorry I didn't mean-"  
  
"High and mighty Sendoh Akira, star of Ryonan, what the hell would you know, huh?!" she snapped at him, her hands curling into fists. "You wouldn't - you wouldn't know the first thing and I don't give a damn about basketball! It's a stupid game! Only tall freaks play basketball!"  
  
Sendoh looked thoughtful. "I believe the term is vertically-challenged freaks."  
  
That smile! She almost forgot to be angry again. She knew that she wouldn't be able to say another scathing remark without breaking down - and she most certainly would not break down, so she turned away, gearing up to leave.  
  
"I think basketball sucks," she muttered.  
  
"If that were true," Sendoh suddenly said, "How did you know what team I play for?"  
  
Oops. She ran.  
  
Sendoh watched her disappear, a thoughtful look on his face. Suddenly he looked down at the bench, and saw that she had left behind her handphone.  
  
.to be continued.  
  
  
  
Review please! It only takes a few seconds.. ^_^ 


	2. Team Assemble

Thank you for the correction, Blue6_Blood66, I'm so embarrassed for overlooking that mistake.. ^^;;  
  
  
  
Best O Kanagawa Team  
  
Chapter 2: Team Assemble!  
  
  
  
Sendoh was holding two things in his hands, and either item was sure to give him a busy day. In his right hand was a clipboard with a few pieces of paper attached to it, and in his left hand was a handphone.  
  
The clipboard held the names of the top thirty players of the Kanagawa prefecture, with six names highlighted. The names were "Miyagi", "Jin", "Rukawa", "Sakuragi", "Fukuda" and "Kiyota". There were a number of other names all through the list, and many had little notes scribbled against them, but only those six were highlighted clearly in bright yellow.  
  
The handphone was blue, not really the petite model that girls preferred to use, nor was it bulky. It was a respectable sort of phone, made for usage and not for look. Except that there was a sticker of a chibi hamster on the back. The screen was not lit up, as the phone was switched off as it had been for the past two days.  
  
"So what are you going to do now?" Koshino asked, noticing how Sendoh was looking from one item to the other. "Aren't you supposed to go to Shohoku now? Or are you going to Kainan first?"  
  
"Give me a moment," Sendoh told him. He looked at the phone for a long while. He hadn't switched it on as he had figured that he didn't have the right, since it wasn't his phone, but he was sure that the owner, that strange girl whom he still didn't know the name of, was frantically looking for it.  
  
Finally deciding, Sendoh switched on the phone. The little screen lit up, and a giant CHECK passed over it before settling down to show him that the phone had half its battery left and enough reception. Sendoh stared at it as the glow disappeared again, then sighed and pocketed it.  
  
"Well, let's go to Shohoku first then," Sendoh told his friend.  
  
It was only after they had settled into their seats on the train, the little innocent-looking blue handphone screamed shrilly, as though reflecting the anger of the caller. Sendoh scrambled with it frantically, the little vibrating motion causing his jacket to whirr uncontrollably. It was after Koshino finally took control of things and calmly plucked the phone out was Sendoh able to take it properly.  
  
"Moshi moshi?" Sendoh spoke into the phone.  
  
"Hey!" a voice squealed in his ear. "You took my phone you---"  
  
"You left it on the bench," Sendoh said, quickly cutting her off before she was able to say something she'd probably regret, even if she wouldn't admit it.  
  
She went quiet for a while. "I want it back."  
  
"Of course you do," Sendoh said. "The question is how."  
  
"Where are you?" the girl grumbled.  
  
"I'm going to Shohoku."  
  
There was another pause. "Shohoku?"  
  
"Yes, as in *the* Shohoku," Sendoh said, smiling into the phone. "As in the home of the second best basketball team in Kanagawa."  
  
"Shut up. I want my phone."  
  
"I have an appointment with the coach of the Shohoku basketball team," Sendoh told her. "So I can't see you today. Tomorrow perhaps?"  
  
The girl sputtered. "No! No, you see it's um. It's an emergency and I *really* need that phone by today the latest, I've already lost two days!"  
  
"Well I'll be at Shohoku for a few hours, and then I'll be going to Kainan afterward."  
  
"Kainan?"  
  
"Yes, Kainan. Unless you don't mind meeting me at either school, you can take your phone back easily," Sendoh leaned back into the seat of his train, feeling quite amused with the turn of events.  
  
"Why are you going to those schools?" the girl asked, trying her best not to sound curious.  
  
"I'm rallying up the best players in Kanagawa into one team," Sendoh told her. "There's to be an inter-district league some weeks from now. First time it's ever been done, so not that many people know about it yet."  
  
The girl was quiet. "Well, whatever. I just want my phone back."  
  
"Either school? Meet me?" Sendoh said.  
  
"Shohoku. You're going there first, right?"  
  
"I'm going there right now."  
  
"In forty minutes I'll be at the gate. Don't expect me to enter."  
  
Sendoh, feeling strangely cheeky, said, "Why?"  
  
"Guess."  
  
"You hate basketball?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"And because of a game you hold a grudge against an entire school? Or schools?"  
  
The girl growled, and it was a strangely adorable sort of sound. "Forty minutes. In the front gate." And she hung up.  
  
Sendoh placed the little blue phone in his jacket and turned to Koshino, who was looking at him with a curious expression. Sendoh shrugged, then glanced at his watch to start timing the forty minutes the girl had said she'd take.  
  
  
  
To be continued..  
  
Drop me a review and let me know what you thought! 


	3. Shohoku Best Three

Best O Kanagawa Team  
  
Chapter 3: Shohoku Best Three  
  
  
  
Of course the whole Shohoku team were practicing in their gym, so it was easy for Sendoh to meet up with them. He had told Coach Anzai before about the announcement he was to make, and so the moment that Koshino and him entered, everyone had shushed up until there was only pindrop silence. The players themselves, including Miyagi Ryota, Sakuragi Hanamichi and Rukawa Kaede gathered into a group to hear what he had to see.  
  
"As you've all heard, they are starting to new Inter-District League in conjunction with the rising demand of games after the recent surge in participation during the Inter High and the Winter Games," Sendoh spoke loudly, making sure that everyone was paying full attention to him. "The main sponsors come from overseas, as most of the foreign talent scouts have shown more interest in a larger and more 'exclusive' scale of players."  
  
"Exclusive! That must include the tensai!" Sakuragi interrupted with his usual laughter, which caused Ryota to whack him upside the hide.  
  
Standing near the back of the group, Rukawa's eyes widened ever so slightly at the phrase "foreign talent scouts".  
  
"Each district is to be represented by 12 players, no more and no less," Sendoh said. "And since I am the current MVP from the most recent Inter High--" At this Sakuragi and Rukawa scowled simultaneously. Sendoh just clear his throat and went on, "-I have been asked by the management to recruit the other 11."  
  
Ryota's eyes lit up and he stole a glance at Ayako, who was smiling at him encouragingly.  
  
"So from Shohoku," Sendoh said, "I ask Miyagi Ryota, Rukawa Kaede and Sakuragi Hanamichi to join the Kanagawa District team."  
  
"I knew it! Hahahahahahaha!" Sakuragi laughed, planting his hands on his hips.  
  
"Shut up, do'aho," Rukawa mumbled.  
  
"What did you say?!" Sakuragi demanded.  
  
"Quiet, both of you!" Ryota snapped. "Don't you understand what this means? We're to represent the best in Kanagawa!"  
  
"No problem for the tensai!" Sakuragi announced.  
  
As the three continued their usual argument, Coach Anzai walked up to Sendoh. "Ho ho ho, this is very interesting news, Sendoh-kun. Who chose the 12 players for the team?"  
  
"Actually only 7 are confirmed," Sendoh told him. "Myself, Fukuda, these Shohoku three and two more from Kainan. The remaining 5 are still under discussion. The management have asked me to recommend whoever I think might do well. Koshino's helping out with the recruitment."  
  
"I don't think I'll make the final cut, but it's great to be part of this all the same," Koshino told Coach Anzai.  
  
"Ho ho ho, well they made an excellent choice with these three," Coach Anzai said. And they turned their heads just in time to see the said three Shohoku stars break out into a fight.  
  
"Yeah," Koshino said, frowning. "Great choice."  
  
Sendoh suddenly looked at his watch. "Hey Koshino, can you give them the details on the training camp, I'll be right back."  
  
"The phone girl?" Koshino asked.  
  
"Yeah," answered Sendoh, just before breaking out into a run out of the gym.  
  
By the time he reached the gate, he was already looking around and craning his neck in search of the girl. He didn't see her, so he took out her little blue handphone from his jacket just in case she would call or something.  
  
"Err, excuse me?"  
  
Sendoh turned and looked down to see another girl, not the same one, but a different one. The first thing that caught Sendoh's eye was this new girl's blonde-purple hair, which would have been noticed by anyone. The second thing he noticed were the way her eyes were sparkling.  
  
"Yes?" Sendoh replied.  
  
"You're Sendoh, right?" the girl said. "I'm Melina. My friend asked me to come by and pick up her phone from you."  
  
"Your friend?" Sendoh asked. "You mean... She's not here?"  
  
"No," Melina answered, shaking her head. Suddenly her face broke into a grin. "You must have made a good impression on her."  
  
Sendoh smiled. "Perhaps. Oh, here's her phone. I didn't use it or anything."  
  
Melina nodded, taking the phone and putting it in her bag. "Well, she'd probably call you a thief and won't thank you, but thank you anyway."  
  
"Do you mind me asking what her name is?" Sendoh asked.  
  
"You mean she didn't tell it to you?" said Melina.  
  
"No, I don't think she got the chance," Sendoh said, smiling at the memory.  
  
"It's Ayumi. Shimazaki Ayumi." Melina smiled.  
  
Sendoh racked his brain. "Sounds familiar."  
  
Melina's eyes danced briefly before dropping down in guilt. "Actually I wouldn't be surprised if you knew her name. But she'd kill me if she knew I'd told it to you. And I err. I better go."  
  
"Wait, what school does she go to?" Sendoh asked.  
  
"Kawagoe High," Melina answered quickly, taking nervous steps away from him. "Same as mine. I got to go now. Ja ne, Sendoh-san!"  
  
"Ja ne." Sendoh said softly, waving for no apparent reason even after Melina had disappeared round the corner. *Shimazaki Ayumi* It did sound very familiar, although Sendoh couldn't quite place it. But at least he had a lead, and that was Kawagoe High, and he knew exactly where it was.  
  
As Sendoh started to walk back to the Shohoku gym, he wondered why he was so interested in this strange girl. He told himself he was just curious. He only wanted to know why she 'hated' basketball so much.  
  
Arriving at the gym, he was first accosted by Sakuragi Hanamichi.  
  
"Sendoh! Who else is on the team? You?!" Sakuragi demanded.  
  
"Obviously he's on the team," Koshino sighed, looking as though he had explained in two dozen times already. "He's the MVP of Kanagawa!"  
  
"But that means I'm going to have play in the same team as him!" Sakuragi shrieked, pointing an accusing finger at Sendoh, who just smiled. And the deadly look in Rukawa's eyes showed that he felt the exact same way.  
  
Ryota gave Sakuragi another kick in the shins. "Why are you holding on to petty grudges, Hanamichi? We're the best of Kanagawa! Of course we have to work together!"  
  
Sakuragi cursed under his breath. "I guess playing with Sendoh wouldn't be so bad." Rukawa looked at Sakuragi sharply.  
  
"Who else has been chosen?" Ryota asked.  
  
"Kiyota and Jin from Kainan, and my own teammate Fukuda," Sendoh answered.  
  
Sakuragi's eyes bulged. "Fukuda?! And the wild monkey?! No no no no no no I will not play with them! Nooooooo!"  
  
Koshino tugged at Sendoh's sleeve, pulling him aside. "Are you sure about this? This Sakuragi is not exactly a stable character. Even Rukawa, though he can be quite competitive he doesn't make much trouble and is quite professional."  
  
"Sakuragi's the best under the net," Sendoh said, shrugging. "He's on the team." He was quiet for a moment. "Hey, have you ever heard of a Shimazaki Ayumi?"  
  
"Shimazaki Ayumi? No, who's that?" Koshino asked.  
  
"The phone girl," Sendoh answered. "I'm sure I've seen her somewhere before." Suddenly he noticed that Ryota and Ayako and the other Shohoku team members were having a calm-down Sakuragi sessions. "Hey, Sakuragi!"  
  
Sakuragi looked at him. "What?"  
  
"If you don't want to play on the Kanagawa Team, it's all right," Sendoh said. "I'll just have to find someone to replace you, no problem."  
  
"Replace the tensai?!" Sakuragi demanded. "No one can replace the tensai! Either I play or your team is going to lose all their games, so of course I will play, HAH!" Ryota rolled his eyes. Rukawa shrugged and carelessly walked away.  
  
Sendoh grinned. "That's settled then."  
  
  
  
To be continued.  
  
Was this chapter okay then? Let me know what you thought! 


End file.
